Insert for holding car-rails.



E. L. HOW.

INSERT FOR HOLDING CAR RAILS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14, 1915.

1,155,558. Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

NEW-E again! a 257? M222 @5565, I Z am COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0 wAsmNcY'roN n. c,

insurer ron HOLDING CAR-RAILS.

Application filed January 14, 1915. Serial No. 2,154.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ELISHA L. How, a

citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Inserts for Holding Car- Rails, of which the following is a specification. t,

r .This invention relates to rail fasteners, and more particularly to that class in which rails are secured to ties,'sleepers or road beds composed of cementitious materials. Owing to the high cost of wooden ties and the desirability of employing a more sub stantial material for supporting railway rails, ties, sleepers and road beds made of cement and concrete of solid or reinforced construction are being resorted to and particularly is this so as fast as new methods of construction and reduced cost of materials are evolved. One of the problems during such evolution is the providing of inexpensive, strong and durable fastening means for the rails, which will permit of the rail being removed when desired, and which also will hold the rail against unintentional removal or loosening.

It is therefore the primary object of my invention to provide a simple and inexpensive insert, which can be embedded in the cementitious material, and which will permit of the driving of spikes and their removal in much the same manner as when ordinary wooden ties are employed.

To this end my invention consists of the features of construction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claims. I

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a plan of a detail showing my improved fastening device held in position in a portion of a cement railway tie; F ig. 2 is a section taken onthe line WYV, Fig. 1, showing a railway rail secured on one side by the fastening means; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line XK, of Fig. 1, showing the rail secured by the fastener; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line YY, of Fig. 1, showing the rail secured by the fastener, and Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken through one of the re taining elements of the insert.

In carrying my invention into use, it will be understoodthat the fastener for securing the rail in position. can be employed with Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

ties, sleepers, slabs, floors, road beds or any other elements for supporting the rails, which are composed of cementitious materials, and where reference is made in the specification and claims following to ties, it will be understood that any of these other forms of construction are to be considered the full equivalent thereof.

In the drawing, A indicates a portion of a railway tie, made of cement suitably reinforced or bonded to produce a strong and rigid support,which can be set in the foundation or road bed B in the usual manner. In molding the tie or ties, parts of my improved fastening means are secured rigidly in place by molding the cementitious material around them, leaving them embedded. My improved. fastening means consists in part of an insert C, made of metal or other suitable material, which is formed of a pair of retaining elements 2 and 3 of similar construction joined by ribs or flanges 4., said retaining elements being disposed below opposite sides of a railway rail D, which is to be fastened to the tie. Each retaining element is constructed with laterally extending horizontal ribs or flanges 5, which serve to reinforce the strength of the structure and with laterally extending bosses 6, having perforations or openings 7, there being two bosses on each of the opposite sides of each retaining element, one being placed above the other. These bosses in addition to reinforcing the strength of the retainer also are adapted to receive the reinforcing rods 8 through the openings 7, which are adapted to extend through the bosses-of an insert below one rail, and through the bosses ofa companion insert disposed below the opposite rail of a pair. These reinforcing IOdS'aS well as the ribs 5serve to lock or hold the insert vertically and firmly embedded in the tie. When desired the rods may be of only suiiicient length to extend through the bosses of a single insert. Each retainer is formed with a downwardly extending entering chamber or opening 10, which in cross section is oblong or of other suitable shape desired to receive and hold a pair of fibrous blocks 11 and 12, between which the spike 13 is driven to hold the base of the rail D. The opening 14: entering the chamber 10 is of smaller size than the dimensions across the chamber, so as to provide shoulders 15' at the upper end, which 11 prevent the blocks 11 and 12 from beingremoved from thereceptacle or chamber'when fibrous blocks 11. and 12 singly and to admit the spike between said blocks, as illustrated in Fig. 5. with the grain of the material disposed across the chamber, so that as the shank of the spike 13 is driven between them, the grain is forced downwardly at an inwardly trending angle, thus producing a bracing or buttressing effect against the shank of the spike to prevent itsremoval from the insert anintentionally.

The shank of the spike and the inner walls of the chamber can also be formed with serrated or ribbed surfaces such as 17 and 18, which additionally form a firmer connection between the blocks and shank of thespike and the walls of the chamber, to secure the spike against removal from the insert. The head 20 of the spike is adapted to overlap the base 21 of the rail in the usual manner, it being understood that spikes are to be driven into the chambers in the manner stated to engage on opposite sides of the base of the rail as illustrated. The base of the rail rests .directly upon the top of the insert, although it is obvious that any cush ioning material or metal, not illustrated can be interposed between the base and top of the insert when desired. The reinforcing rods 8, which are firmly engaged with the bosses 6 by the cement material in the openings in the bosses around said rods, assist in holding a pair of the inserts suitably spaced apart to prevent spreading of the rails, and also assist in holding the inserts vertically inthe cement material.

In use the blocks can be treated with creosote anda small amount of tar placed in the spike receiving chamber to hermetically seal the spike and blocks in said chamber against moisture, thus excluding moisture and serving to preserve the parts.

The construction of insert described is exceedingly strong, owing to its reinforced construction, and its low cost of production, commends itself for practical and serviceable use. It also provides a safe and durable device, which tends to reduce fatalities due to spreading and broken rails. In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the construction shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means and appliedto uses other'than those above set'forth within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, what I The blocks are preferably formed claim as new and -desire to protect by Let- I g t ters Patent is the spike 13 is entered between them. The opening 1% is of sufficient size to admit the An insert for fastening railway rails to a cementitious support, comprising, 1n combination, a spike receiving element to be. held by said support, a spike insertible into said receiving element, a block held within said element and with which said" spike' is adapted to be driven into engagement, said receiving element being formedwith aninward projection below -whichsaid block is V lodged-while said spike is, engaged. V

2.-An insert for fastening railway rails upon a cementitious support, comprising, in combination, a spike receiving element, having a downwardly extending blocks in said chamber and a spike adapted to be driven into engagement with said blocks, the wall of said chamber being formed with an'opening in its upper end to receive said spike and blocksand with aninwardly projecting means near its upper end and below which said blocks .are adapted to lodge to prevent them from being removed from said chamber while saidspike is en- An insertfor fastening railway rails upon a cementitious support, comprising, in combination,- a'spair of connectedspike receivingelementsadapted to be embedded in said support, eachof said elements'having a downwardly extending chamber, blocks of fibrous material adapted to stand in, said chamber and a spike for holding a railway rail adapted to be driven between said blocks in said chamber, the wall of said chamber being formed with an'opening in its upper end to receive said blocks and spike and with an inwardly projecting means at its upper end above said blocks adapted to prevent the removal 'of said blocks while said spike is'lodged between them.

4. An insert for fastening railway rails upon a cementitioussupport, comprising, in combination, a pair of connected spike re,-

chamber,

ing adapted to be embedded in said support.

and having a downwardly extendingchaniber, an opening enteringthe' upper end of said chamber and an inwardly extending shoulder-adjacent said opening, and a plu rality of blocks adapted to be receivedasingly through said opening and lodge below said shoulder insaid chamber, whereby a spike entering said chamber through said opening is adapted to engage and force said blocks tightly against thewall of said chamber and lodged below said shoulder. r

5. An insert for fastening a railway rail upon a cementitious support, comprising, in combination, a spike receiving element to be embedded in said support, a spike insertible into said element, a block held by said element, and with which said spike is driven into engagement, saidreceiving element being formed with an inward projection below which said block is lodged while said spike engages said block, and with a perforated boss on its outer wall projecting into said support and means passing through said perforation in said boss and into said support for holding said spike receiving element vertically in said support.

6. An insert for fastening railway rails upon a cementitious support, comprising, in combination, a spike receiving element to be held by said support, a downwardly entering chamber formed with an inward projection, a spike insertible into said chamber, blocks insertible into said chamber engaged below said inward projection and between which said spike is adapted to be driven, the wall of said chamber and the surface of the shank of said spike being formed with protuberances, whereby the blocks are held in said chamber while said spike is entered between them.

7. An insert for fastening railway rails upon a cementitious support, comprising, in combination, a spike receiving element, having a downwardly entering spike receiving chamber, formed with an inward projection, a pair of fibrous blocks adapted to be entered within said chamber engaged below said projection and between which said spike is adapted to be driven, said blocks being formed with their grain extending normally horizontally, whereby the spike entering between said blocks is adapted to defleet the trend of said grain at an angle downwardly and inwardly and the shank of the spike is wedged in said chamber against removal.

8. An insert for fastening railway rails upon a support, comprising, in combination, a spike receiving element having a downwardly entering spike receiving chamher, a pair of fibrous blocks entered longitudinally within said chamber, said blocks being formed with their grain extending normally laterally and said blocks and the inner wall of said chamber, constituting two elements, one of which is formed with lateral protuberances engaging with the contiguous surface of the opposite element, whereby a spike entering said chamber between said blocks is adapted to deflect the trend of said grain at an angle downwardly and inwardly and the shank of the spike is wedged in said chamber and said blocks are engaged with the wall of said chamber against removal.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ELISHA L. HOW.

Witnesses:

CLARENCE W. HALBERT, 1*. G. BRADBURY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G." 

